Funeral services for Dr. Theodore “Ted” Roscoe Pfrimmer, 95, of Sugar Hill, GA and formerly of Leland, MS will be at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 29 at Boone Funeral Home, Leland. He died Friday, November 25 in Georgia. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. Arrangements are under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Leland.
Ted was born on December 11, 1920 in Oklahoma City, OK the son of Charles Edward Pfrimmer and Agnes Ethel Hatch Pfrimmer. In his early childhood he lived on a farm and often ran away (chasing his dad to town) that his mom tied him to the clothesline. When he was 10 he contracted TB from and infected milk cow and was sent to the Oklahoma TB Sanitorium for 5 months. At the age of 12 he place a firecracker in a piece of bamboo can and when it didn’t go off, he picked up the bamboo and the firecracker went off sending a 3″ long piece into the pupil of his right eye. He never had vision in this eye again. He was in 4-H and Lone Scouting which was a division of Boy Scouts for those living in rural areas to far apart to form a troop. Ted was an excellent student who was allowed to skip a grade and rarely had to take exams. In high school he won many awards with the FFA. In 1940 he graduated from Rogers (Arkansas) High School as Valedictorian and then enrolled in the College of Agriculture at the University of Arkansas on a scholarship.
He was drafted in January 1943 and became a corporal in the Army Air Force, first was an airplane mechanic then an Electrical Systems instructor based at Kessler Field in Biloxi. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Maxine Sinclair at a roller skating rink in Mobile, AL. They were married at Dauphin Way Baptist Church in October, 1944. Ted received an honorable discharge in February, 1946 and returned to University of Arkansas thanks to the GI bill. His first daughter, Linda Sue was born later that year. After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree majoring in Entomology he immediately headed to Baton Rouge, LA to attend Louisiana State University graduate school completing his masters degree in the fall of 1949. In January of 1950 he moved to Texas A & M and his second daughter, Shirley Jean was born in October. In May of 1953 he completed his Ph.D. in Entomology and began his career with the USDA in cotton insect research. This brought him to the Delta Branch Experiment Station (Stoneville) in 1957 where he worked until retirement in 1985. A highlight of those years was a reciprocating project with Egypt in the Nile delta that allowed him travel there on 2 occasions. Third daughter Cindy was born in Leland in 1960.
Some of Ted’s achievements were, Mississippi Entomological Association President, Vice President, various committee head; received the Merit award in Research and also the Award for distinguished Service; was Adjunct Professor at Mississippi State University; Leland Rotary Club President (and other offices) and had 17 years perfect attendance; Leland Academy Booster Club President; named to Washington School Board of Directors and was a Deacon at First Baptist Church of Leland.
His hobbies included church activities, golf, square and round dancing, travel, reading, and any activity his daughters and grand daughters participated in.
His wife, Maxine passed away in February of 1999 and in 2002 Ted moved to Duluth, GA to be closer to daughter Cindy and her family.
He is survived by 3 daughters, Linda Emanuel of Lexington, KY; Shirley Pfrimmer of Cordova, TN and Cindy Lloyd (Jim) of Sugar Hill, GA; brother, Jack Pfrimmer of Birmingham, AL; 2 sisters, Cynthia Sheffler of New Braunfels, TX and Betsey Rambeau of Mobile, AL; 4 granddaughters, Paige Turner (Jeff) of Lexington, KY; Kelly Cadden (Dan) of Auburn, AL; Lauren Westbrook (Jamie) of Buford, GA and Jamie Lancaster (Zack) of Greensboro, GA; and 2 great grandsons, Daniel Ross Cadden, Jr. and Thomas Lloyd Cadden both of Auburn, AL.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Homes for the Troops in Ted’s name at hfotusa.org.